Printing machine



Filed Feb. 14, 1955 4 Sheets-Shet 1 Dec. 3, 1957 Filed Feb. 14, 1955 R. F. FOARD PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheei'l 2 IN VEN TOR.

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Dec. 3, 1957 R, F. FoARD 2,814,987

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. l," 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 `Filed Feb. 14. 195s MENU INVENTOR. gober ff-.Fgarcl Unite States Patent O PRINTING MACHINE Robert F. Foard, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 14, 1955, Serial No. 487,848

26 Claims. (Cl. lOl-115) This invention belongs to that general class of devices known as printing apparatus and the art of printing and relates particularly to means for printing upon fabrics of various types in the manufacture of napkins, tablecloths, towels, handkerchiefs, etc.

The invention has among its objects the production of printing means involving stencil screens and dye feeding squeegee-like elements in which a single color may be employed or a number of diferent colors. When more than one color is employed, each stencil screen is provided with its own squeegee and the squeegee is provided with a support means on its respective screen.

Another :object -is to provide .a printing means for cloth, paper `and other materials which is simple, durable and compact in structure, relatively inexpensive to make and manufacture when compared with other mean-s for printing fabrics, a device which is substantially entirely automatic in opera-tion and designed to give dependable and eicient service for along period of time.

Other objects, advantages and features of this particular invention -will :appear from a careful perusal of the accompanying drawings, the subjoined and detailed description, the preamble of these speciiications, and the claims appended hereto.

Below, applicant describes one of the preferred forms of his invention in order to teach the art thereof and show how to make and use the same, but it is to be understood that the 1drawings and description thereof are not to limit the invention in any .sense whatsoever, except as the invention may be limited by the prior pertinent art.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the invention with parts being shown in section and other parts being broken away to indicate that the lengths and the widths of such devices may rvary;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view with parts being shown in section and other parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a plan view (smaller scale) of the device but without the squeegee equip-ment and the overhead elements, showing a screen in place ready for printing and also showing one of the lower screens in the elevator unit;

Figure 4 is an under plan view of the squeegee with parts in section and parts broken away;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the squeegee carrier;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view, partly elevational and partly sectional, taken on line 7-7 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is `an elevational view of a mover and locking device for the printing frame.

The particular form of the invention, as illustrated, shows a work table indicated in general by the reference character 1, an elevator printing frame carrier indicated in general at 2, and a squeegee device indicated in general by 3.

The table 1 has a smooth surfaced top 5 and is supported 4from a floor in any suitable manner such-as by ICC corner legs 4 and the side beams 6. The table per se is not claimed and it may be a counter, bench, or any other suitable means for giving smooth surfaced support for the fabrics tor the silk screens in the screen supports or printing frames 7.

The elevator device 2 is a four cornered structure having corner posts 8 which are securely bra-ced together upon a platform 9 that is associated with means (not shown) for raising and lowering it so as to bring diierent track levels flush with rails or slide guides (to be explained later) which are supported over the side edges of the table 1. This elevator or lift 2 is provided with a plurality of paired side rails (angle irons) 1li and 10 which are spaced apart `and adapted to carry printing frames 7 at different levels.

Each printing frame 7 consists of .a rectangle of wooden or metal frame members 11, 12, 13 and 14 to the underside of which is cemented or tacked the recessed edges lof a transfer silk screen 15. 1n order that the screen can be more iirmly held in place, recessed stripping m'ay 'be nailed over the screen -edges and to the frame members. The screen or stencil 15 has the desi-gn upon it which is to be transferred to any fabric or paper placed below it upon the Vtable top 5. The wooden screen frame is supported upon a -carrier metal frame 16 which slides along the spaced angle irons or side tracks 18 and 19 as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The track-s 18 and 19 rigidly connect to the respective arms a lever frame 2t) (Figure l) which is pivoted to a fixed ycross axle 21B disposed adjacent elevator 2. A cross bar 2li (Figure 1) is connected between tracks 18 and 19 on the end of the apparatus remote from elevator 2. A LJ-'frame having side arms 17 and 17 is supported in spaced relation above tracks 18 and 19 by means of side straps or connectors 17. The U-frame has a front bar or -ange 21 connected between its side arms 17' and 17". With the described construction, the entire rigidly connected assembly comprising lever frame 20, cross bar 20, tracks 18 and 19, arms 17 and 17, and flange 21 may be pivoted abou-t cross axle 20 by actuating means to be described subsequently. The purpose o-f such pivoting is to move the indicated components from an upper position at which a printing frame 7 may be received from elevator 2, to a lower position at which screen 15 -is in printing position against the underlying cloth.

It should be apparent that a frame 7 may be taken from any one of the rail pairs llii of the elevator 2 to bring out -the desired stencil screen 15. The bar 21 has mounted thereon a micro-switch lever (not shown) in combination with a bumper 22 having a spring pin 22 which operates to quickly reverse movement of the squeegee device 3. When the pin is touched, the switch operates a squeegee actuating element to be described later.

Each side rail of each screen frame '7 is provided with an upstanding iin indicated at 23 and 2d. The ns are firmly secured to the rearward portions of the frame 7, and each one of them is provided with a pair of spaced apart round openings 25 and 26, as shown, for a purpose to be explained later.

The squeegee device 3 consists of a squeegee head portion a (Fig. 4) and a squeegee control or carrier frame means b (Fig. 5). Each printing frame 7 has its own squeegee head which always remains with it, but there is only one squeegee carrier frame means. There is one squeegee head portion for each color, since each frame has its own .stencil screen 1e' which is for a particular color. A coloring mass is indicated at 27.

The carrier frame means for receiving and operating the diiierent removable squeegees consists of a rectangular plate 28 to which is welded or otherwise attached one leaf of each of the hinges indicated at 29, there being a hinge for each of the hanger members 30, 31, 32 and 33 to which, in each case, is attached the other leaf of the said hinges. The top ends of these hanger members are journalled to a parallelogram frame means having end bars 3,4 and 34 that are provided with suitable bearings for the axle rods 35, 35', 36 and 47 as indicated. rl`his arrangement provides a pair of vertical parallelograms with its resulting effects upon motion of the carrier plate 28. The ends 34 and 34 are pivoted to the axle rod 36 which is supported by a box-like horizontal parallelogram device indicated in general by the reference character 37, and which has the pivot points 33, 39 and ffl as well as the one at 36. The pivot points 39 and 4G are fixed to a suitable support post bracket indicated at 41.

A double acting air cylinder 42 has one end of its piston rod 4.3 pivoted to the paraliclogram 'frame 3"!" at 44 so that when the cylinder 42 is provided with suitable air pressure on either side of its piston7 the frame 37 is made to move in an upward or downward direction and thus shift the squeegee into proper level for changing the screen. The tilt of the bars 34 and 34 is obtained by operation of the double acting air cylinder 45 having a piston rod 46 one end of which is pivoted to the cross axle rod 47. For reciprocating the squeegee, a double acting pivoted air cylinder 48 is used, and has a long piston rod 49 pivoted to the cross axle rod 50 at 5l. The cylinders (excepting 45) are supported in any suitable manner as from extending frame parts of the machine itself, or from walls of a room. The cylinder 45 is supported by arm 45 extending from the end of parallelogram 37.

The squeegee head portion is removable from the framing just explained, or to be more specific, removable from the carrier plate 2S. The squeegee head consists of a top main support plate 52 from which depends a plurality of supporting blocks 53 which are Welded to or otherwise firmly fixed to the back portions of an elongated angle iron 54; the blocks being firmly fixed to the plate 52 by welding or other means. An elongated small size angle iron 55 is bolted or otherwise suitably fixed to the larger angle iron 54, and between them is positioned the two squeegee blades 56 and 57. These blades are held tightly in place by the bolts or other means which pass through the two angle irons at spaced apart positions, The squeegee blades may be rubber, neoprene, leather or any other suitable material which has the necessary qualities for such use. These blades push the coloring material 27 along the top surface of the silk screen or stencil, so that it passes in small amounts through the screen at certain openings to form a print upon paper or fabric placed between the screen and the table top 5.

As said before, the squeegee is removable from the working frame or its plate 28, and this is accomplished through the use of claws 58, 59, 60 and 61. Each claw has an under flange 62, which engages the underside of the plate 52, and an over flange 63 formed with a somewhat elongated slot 64 along which rides the stem portion of a bolt 65. The bolt is screwed into the plate 28. The inner end of each claw is pivoted to one end of a link member 66, and all the link members have their other ends pivoted to their respective ends of the piston rods 67 and 67 of a two piston double acting air cylinder 68. When the pistons of the air cylinder 68 are forced apart by suitable air pressure, the claws release their respective portions of the under plate or sequeegee plate 52. Obviously, the cylinder 68 and the one soon to be described are fixed to the top surface of the plate 28 in any suitable manner such as by bolts, etc.

The double acting air cylinder 69 is supported above the plate 28 in such a manner that its piston rod 70 clears the rod 67. The distal end of rod 741 has a bifurcated element 71 (Figure 7) fixed thereto, which extends through a transverse slot in plate 28 and is adapted to ride along a corresponding slot 72 in the squeegee plate 52. A dog 73 is provided at one end of a push rod 74, and this dog is grasped by the bifurcated element 71 wheneverthe plates 28 and 52 are in abutment. This push rod 74 has a pair of links 75 and 76 pivoted to an end thereof and these links have their opposite ends pivoted `to their respective push-pull rods or bands 77 and 7d, as shown, on the underside of plate 52. These rods or bands preferably ride in guide grooves in the plate 52 so that they stay in alinement.

The rod 77 is integral with the apex of a triangular plate 79 having an integral depending flange itil which supports a pair of spaced apart eccentric cone members 81 and 82. These cone members are adapted to enter their respective openings 25 and 26 in the lin 23 of the printing frame. The triangular plate is shiftable in that it has a slot 83 which rides along the stem portion of the bolt 84. Similar parts are provided for the triangular member 85; that is, it has the slot portion 86, bolt 87, flange h, and eccentric cones 89 and 99. It should now be apparent, that the cylinder rod 70 can shift the locking cones into and out of their respective openings in their respective fins 23 and 24. Thus, each squeegee is locked to itsown printing frame member 7, and hence always used with the same colo'r material 27. Obviously, however, a single color may be used any number of times without racking the squeegee should such an operation be desired.

A clamp member 91 (Figure 3) is provided at the forward end of a push-pull rod 92 for pron-acting and retracting the stencil screens when required. A finger member v93 (note `Fig. l) has'a depending flange 93 at its forward end which is adapted to engage and lock with the upstanding flange of the rear angle iron 13 which forms the side of carrier 16 corresponding to screen frame member 13. The other end of this finger member is integral with a lever 93', these two elements 9,3 and 93 having their center portion pivoted at 92 to the forward end of the push-pull rod 92 as indicated. When the front face portion of the lever 93' is struck by the angle iron 13', the finger member 93 is forced downwardly into substantially the position shown in Fig. l. When the clamp or finger member pulls the screen to its rearward `position by retraction of the rod 92, the screen is released by the lever 93 striking a projection on the master cylinder 94, indicated at 94 in Fig. 3. When the desired screen is placed in position, the fiange of the finger 93 is forced into the position shown in Fig. 1 as before mentioned, The finger pushes the screen into place on the machine by the push action of the finger flange Si on the rear face of the frame member 13. The master cylinder 94 is -quite long so that the rod 92 can have sufficient stroke for complete movement of the printing frames.

The double acting cylinder for lifting and lowering the pivoted frame 20 and connected elements into proper position is shown in Fig. 8 and indicated by the reference character 95. This cylinder is anchored to the front -posts 4 by the cross member 4 and the saddle member 4". The piston rod 97 from this cylinder has an integral projection or spring latch member 98, 98 and the distal end of this rod is pivoted to the under portion of the cross bar 20". The rod 97 is held ina downward position by the latch member 98 resting below rod 99. A compression spring in the cylinder 100 constantly urges the rod 99 outwardly so that it retains this position at all times except when air pressure is used on the opposite sides of the piston of cylinder in order to cause the frame 20 to rise and later to fall. A cross member 100' may be employed between the posts 4 for the support of the cy1inder 100.

The rod 92 from the master cylinder positions the printing screen into proper forward position, but in order to make the screen register completely or shift it into proper lateral position, the small double acting registering cylinders 102 and 103 (Figure 3) are provided. These cylinders force their piston rods 104 against the side frame of the screen and `thus force the other side of the screen into abutment with the upstanding flange of the side rail 18, see Fig. 2.

In order to lock the squeegee in a level position, the lair cylinder '105 and the latch member 4106 are provided (Figure 1). The cylinder 105 is fixed to a cross member 107 (Figure 2) of frame 37, and the piston rod from the cylinder has the latch member 106 Xed to its distal end. A compression spring 100 in the latch member constantly urges a bevelled tongue 109 to an outer position, and this tongue is adapted to engage and hold the dog 110 which is `fixed or integral with the rod 46. A projection part 111 on the latch member aids the tongue in keeping the dog 110 in locked position. Such leveling of the squeegee is important, such as in positioning the cones 81, 82, 89 and 90 for reinsertion into their openings 25 and 26.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, rollers 200 are journalled at opposite ends of squeegee carrier element 28 and ride along the upper and lower surfaces of tracks 201 formed on elements 17 and 17". Tracks 201 terminate adjacent upstanding channels mounted on elements 17 and 17, the construction being such that rollers 200 may move off tracks 201 and upwardly into channels 202 While a screen frame is moved from elevator 2 to a position above the table. The rollers are so constructed as to permit feathering of the squeegee, and serve in combination with tracks 201 to guide the squeegee along a path parallel with the screen. It is pointed out that the double parallelogram carrier frame construction (Figure l) is what permits carrier plate 28 to move back and forth on tracks 201, frame 37 then moving up and down as the squeegee is reciprocated by cylinder 4S.

Operation The elevator 2 is first positioned to aline the desired color screen with the rear ends of the rails or tracks 18 and 19, such tracks (and frame 20) being initially in upward pivoted position. The push-pull rod 92 then forces the screen against the upstanding iiange of cross bar 20". Next, the screen is shifted laterally by the rods 104 to make the side frame 16 of the screen abut the flange of the side rail or track 1d and this places the screen in a xed standard registering position with respect to the design on the fabric being printed. The frame 20 and connected parts are then lowered by operation ofthe cylinder 95 and locked there by pressure in the cylinder 95, and by elements 98-99. The dog 110 is freed, after the carrier element 28 engages the squeegee element 52, by operation of the cylinder 105.

It is to be understood that during the above screen-insertion operation the rollers 200 are disposed in channels `202, being held elevated by cylinder 42. After the screen has engaged table top 5, cylinder 42 is operated to lower carrier element 28 into engagement with squeegee element 52, so that the squeegee gripping operation can occur.

After the squeegee is gripped by action of cylinder 68, the paired cones 81-82 and 39-90 are released from their respective openings or keepers -26 in the fins 23 and 24 by action of cylinder 69. The cylinder 45 immediately feathers the squeegee which moves forward through action of cylinder 43 until it hits the recoil element 22 which contains `an electric switch or air control valve that changes the Adirection of movement of the reciprocable squeegee by operation of the push-pull rod 49. Upon this action, the squeegee is feathered in the opposite angle to that shown in Fig. 1 by action of the gripped when more than one color is to be printed. When other colors are to be employed, the cones of the last squeegee used are then caused to enter their respective keepers by action of the cylinder 69. When the squeegee is released by clamps 58-6L the gripper can then be raised (so that rollers 200 enter channels 202) by operation ofthe cylinder 42. The side registering rods 104 are next released as the cylinder 42 raises the gripper or carrier. Cylinder is then operated to raise frame 20, so that the screen is placed in an upper position and may reenter the elevator.` The screen is then retracted through operation of the master cylinder 94 to position the screen in its proper place on the elevator. The master rod 92 is released from the screen by the lever 93 striking the projection 94 of the master cylinder. The elevator is then operated to bring the next color screen into position should another color be required. As mentioned before, when a single color is being printed, the screen remains in position in the printing machine.

It is an important feature of the invention that the eccentric cones register the squeegees accurately in their hns 23 and 24, thus making it possible for the described squeegee gripping action to occur relative to the squeegees of different printing frames. The eccentricity of the cones is such that their undersides are relatively horizontal, which means that a squeegee may not fall away from its gripper or carrier before claws 58-61 take hold. Preferably, the underside of each cone is at right angles relative to its base.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of form, style, design, materials and construction of the whole or any part of the specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof; such possible changes and modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A printing machine comprising a table top with a printing frame thereon having its individual mechanical squeegee device, means for supporting the squeegee on the printing frame when not in printing use, and an elevator means with a plurality of horizontally arranged printing frames in superposed positions so that any one of the printing frames can easily be levelled with the table top.

2. A printing machine comprising a working surface with a printing frame thereon, the frame including a screen, a squeegee device in the printing frame, means xed onto the printing frame for supporting the squeegee above the scren portion thereof when the squeegee is idle, and an elevating means adjacent the working surface provided with a plurality of horizontally positioned printing frames in superposed arrangement so that any one of the printing frames can be leveled with the working surface and slid over the working surface.

3. The machine recited in claim 2 wherein the supporting means comprise a pair of spaced apart upstanding fins with spaced apart openings therein, and spaced apart pairs of cones on the squeegee device and shiftable thereon so that said cones can enter their respective proximate openings in the fins and be thus supported upon the printing frame..

4. A` printing machine comprising a printing frame with a printing screen thereon, fin means upstanding from the marginal portions of the frame and having cone receiving openings therein, a squeegee device having a top plate with its ends each provided with a shiftable element having spaced apart cones thereon which extend beyond the confines of the squeeze device, and means for shifting the cones into said cone receiving openings and for retracting them from said openings when placed into working position upon the screen.

5. The printing machine recited in claim 4 wherein each cone has an eccentric apex with a surface thereof at substantial right angles with respect to its base.

6. A printing machine comprising a printing frame with a printing screen thereon, spaced apart iin means upstanding from the marginal portions of the printing frame and having spaced apart cone receiving openings therein, and a reciprocable squeegee device supported above the printing frame and adapted to work over the top surface of the screen, the squeege device consisting of a top rectangular plate with ends each having shiftable elements with spaced apart cones thereon and extending away -from the said ends of the plate, said cones being operable to enter the said openings when the squeegee is not in working position and being retractible from the said openlngs when the squeegee is placed in working position.

7. The printing machine recited in claim 6 wherein the cones have their apexes eccentric with respect to the centers of their base portions.

8. The printing machine recited in claim 6 wherein each cone has a surface that is at right angles with respect to its Vbase portion and in alinement with the perimeter of the base portion.

9. The printing machine recited in claim 6 wherein a carrier plate is suspended over the screen by a parallelogram frame that is pivoted for reciprocation of the carrier plate, and means are provided on the carrier plate for engaging the squeegee plate and reciprocating it.

10. The printing machine recited in claim 6 wherein a carrier plate is reciprocably suspended over the screen by a parallelogram framework that is supported by an overhead pivoted element, means are provided on the carrier plate for firmly engaging the plate of the squeegee, and means are provided for tilting the pivoted element so that the squeegee device is slanted in proper working position as it moves along the printing screen.

11. A printing machine comprising a printing frame with a printing screen stretched between its marginal sides, support means on the marginal sides of the printing frame and having cone receiving openings therein, a reciprocable squeegee device supported above the printing frame and adapted to work over the top face of the printing screen, a top rectangular plate on the squeegee device having ends, each end having a shiftable element with a cone thereon and extending away from the said ends in a direction parallel with the elongated axis of the squeegee plate, the said cones being operable to enter the openings in the support means when the elements are shifted toward the openings and being retractible from their respective openings when the elements are drawn away from the openings, a carrier plate, said carrier plate being suspended over the screen by a framework which is pivoted to an overhead yoke means, clamping means to hold the squeegee plate to said carrier plate, means pivoting the yoke means so that it can be tilted, means for moving the yoke means along a vertical line, and means for shifting the framework so as to make the squeegee travel along the face of the printing screen,

12. The machine recited in claim 11 wherein the said cones have their apexes eccentric with respect to the center points of their bases.

13. The printing machine recited in claim 11 wherein the shiftable elements, the clamping means, framework shifting means, yoke means, and means for moving the yoke means are all operated by compressed air cylinders having automatic controls.

14. Apparatus for silk screen printing and the like, which comprises a plurality of screens, a plurality of squeege heads provided one on each of said screens, means to position said screens and their associated squeege heads sequentially in registered position on a sheet to be printed, and carrier means to engage the squeegee head for each screen when in said registered position and to shift said engaged squeegee head over said registered screen.

15. Apparatus for silk screen printing and the like, which comprises a plurality of screens, a plurality of squeegee heads movably mounted one on each of said. screens, shifting means to shift a first screen and its associated first squeegee into registered position on a cloth to be printed and thereafter to remove said lirst screen and squeegee and shift a second screen and squeegee into registered position on said cloth, said shifting means repeating said screen and squeegee shifting and removal operations sequentially for a number of screens and squeegees corresponding to the number of colors to be printed on said cloth, and a single squeegee engaging and operating means :to engage each squeegee upon movement of its associated screen to registered position and to shift the engaged squeegee over such associated screen, said last-named means releasing the engaged squeegee after completion of a shifting operation so as to bein Condition to engage the squeegee associated with the next screen shifted into registered position. p

16. The invention as claimed in claim l5, `in which means are provided to insure that each screen is shifted to the identical registered position as the preceding screen and is held at such identical registered position until completion of the squeegee operation.

17. Apparatus for silk screen printing and the like, which comprises a plurality of screens, a plurality of squeegee heads movably mounted one on each of said screens, shifting means to shift a first screen and its associated first squeegee into registered position on a cloth to be printed and thereafter to remove said first screen and squeegee and shift a second screen and squeegee into registered position on said cloth, said shifting means repeating said screen and squeegee shifting and removal operations sequentially for a number of screens and squeegees corresponding to the number of colors to be printed on said cloth, locking means to lock each squeegee at a predetermined position on its associated screen when the squeegee is not in actual printing use; and squeegee operating means adapted after shifting of a screen to registered position firstly to unlock thelocking means for the associated squeegee, then to shift said squeegee back and forth across said screen, and thereafter to effect re-locking of said locking means.

18. The invention as claimed in claim 17, in which said locking means include at least yone cam element mounted at each end of each squeegee and adapted to shift into an opening in the frame of the associated screen, said cam element and opening being so shaped that said shifting effects precise positioning of said squeegee in said predetermined position relative to its screen after said squeegee operating means has returned said squeegee approximately to said predetermined position.

19. The invention as claimed in claim 17, in which means are provided on said squeegee operating means to grip said squeegee before said shifting and to release said squeegee after said shifting.

20. In a printing apparatus, means to mount a screen printing frame in registered position over a cl-oth to be printed, a squeegee head movable over said screen printing frame, track means to maintain said head at apredetermined elevation over said frame, a parallelogram linkage pivotally connected to said head in such manner that said head forms the lower side of the parallelogram, actuating means connected to said linkage for shifting said head over said screen, and means for maintaining the upper side of said parallelogram linkage at a predetermined inclined position for each direction of movement of said head in order to effect feathering thereof.

21. The invention as claimed in claim 20, -in which said upper side of said linkage is pivotally connected to a second parallelogram linkage having one link thereof disposed remote from said pivotal connection and fixedly mounted von a support, and actuating means are connected to said second linkage for the purpose of raising and lowering said first linkage and said head.

22. The invention as claimed in claim 20, in which said head includes a pair of blades in V-arrangen'ient so that one blade is operative in each feathered position of said head.

23. An apparatus for printing fabrics by the silk screen process, which comprises a generally horizontal support on which a fabric is positioned during the printing operation, rail means mounted above said support and movable from an upper position spaced above said support to a lower position relatively adjacent thereto, means tomove said rail means between said upper and lower positions, an elevator frame disposed adjacent said support, a plurality of screen frames and associated screens mounted in said elevator frame in generally horizontal positions, said screen frames being disposed one above another and being adapted to be sequentially registered with said rail means, when said rail means is in said upper position, upon vertical shifting of said elevator frame to various stations, a plurality of squeegee heads mounted one on each of said screen frames, means to shift each screen frame and its associated squeegee head onto said rail means prior to each printing step and to reinsert such screen frame and squeegee head into said elevator frame after each printing step, and squeegee actuator and carrier means to engage each squeegee head while its associated screen frame is on said rail means, said last-named means operating to shift said squeegee head back and forth upon its screen to eiect printing upon said fabric.

24. The invention as claimed in claim 23, in which combination locking and positioning means are provided on each squeegee head and frame to insure accurate relative positioning therebetween after completion of a printing operation, and in which said squeegee actuator and carrier means comprises means for releasing said locking and positioning means and for gripping said squeegee head.

25. The invention as claimed in claim 23, in which said squeegee actuator and carrier means includes a carrier head adapted to grip each squeegee head, and means for maintaining said carried head between printing steps in position accurately to receive and grip the next squeegee.

26. The invention as claimed in claim 23, in which said squeegee actuator and carrier means includes track means to maintain said head at a predetermined elevation over said frame, a parallelogram linkage pivotally connected to said head in such manner that said head forms the lower side of the parallelogram, actuating means connected to said linkage for shifting said head over said screen, and means for maintaining the upper side of said parallelogram linkage at a predetermined inclined position for each direction of movement of said head and in order to eiect feathering thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,776,459 Tull et al. Sept. 23, 1930 1,832,828 Borregard Nov. 17, 1931 1,840,073 Williams Jan. 5, 1932 2,206,176 Foard July 2, 1940 2,369,290 Foard Feb. 13, 1945 

